Pre-exam day tips

Ok, so you’re taking your exam tomorrow. What should you do?

Here are 10 tips for pre-exam day prep.

1. Relax. Take it easy. Don’t stress. This exam is big and you have worked hard, obviously. But it’s not make or break. If it doesn’t go well, you can always come back stronger and take it again.

2. Picture success. When you go to sleep tonight picture how tomorrow will go. From the moment you wake up to the moment you go back to sleep. Feel how you’ll feel as you have a successful day. Give yourself the script for tomorrow’s day. But only 1-2 minutes of this. Then put it out of your head and get some rest.

3. Rest. Make sure to get a full night’s sleep. If you have prepared even relatively well for this exam then the benefits of getting good sleep will certainly outweigh the benefits of cramming and staying up late.

4. Relax. In my opinion, it is best to have a relaxing night and almost celebrate in a way. After about 6pm or 7pm on the days before my exams I would put away all my study materials and have a relaxing evening watching tv or hanging out with friends. It was almost a celebration because even though I hadn’t passed my exam yet I was proud of the work I’d put in and knew I’d prepared well.

5. Nutrition. This is an easy one. Just eat well and stay hydrated. Pretend you’re an athlete the night before a game. Make sure your body is ready for a big day.

6. Plan your route. Know how you’ll get to the test center and how you’ll get home. Don’t need any stress figuring that out the day of the exam.

7. Plan your fit. Also plan what you are going to wear. It might seem silly but its just one less thing to worry about on exam day.

8. Have all paperwork. Make sure you have everything you need printed and ready to go. Hopefully you can do this even a few days before the exam.

9. Snacks. Have some snacks ready to take with you. You don’t want to be hungry taking the exam.

10. I’ll say it one more time… relax. This exam does not define you. You have worked very hard to prepare because it is a tough exam. But your review course is tougher. It’s given you the tools and knowledge you need. Now its time to go make the most of it and make yourself proud. Go in there and give it your best shot. You can do this!

P.S.: Even if you feel like things are going horribly don’t give up. You have worked too hard to not give it your all. At the very least it will be good preparation for the next exam. But I have first hand experience of thinking that I am failing and ending up with a passing score. You never know what will happen so stick it out til the end.

You got this!